WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Lamborn was the source on some key information on North Korea’s nuclear capability Thursday because he quoted a couple sentences of unclassified information in a classified report.

Three hours into a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Lamborn said the Defense Intelligence Agency, which is under the Pentagon, determined with “moderate confidence” that North Korea has the capability to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be launched with a ballistic missile.

The Colorado Springs Republican gleaned the information from the conclusion of a classified report, though that sentence was unclassified, said his spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen.

Pentagon spokesman George Little issued a statement after the hearing, saying “it would be inaccurate to suggest that the North Korean regime has fully tested, developed, or demonstrated the kinds of nuclear capabilities referenced in the passage.”

Lamborn said Thursday night that he is trying to prevent the Obama administration from further cutting missile defense. But, he added, he thinks the Defense Department is acting appropriately in the current circumstances.

“This just shows that this is a threat we need to be careful of,” he said.

CNN reported late Thursday that the part of the intelligence report Lamborn was referencing was mistakenly marked “unclassified.”